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Monday, October 2, 2017

Stand or Else: Trump's Attack on Black NFL Players

Commentary

I am sharing a comment that first appeared in my Facebook feed written by my former colleague, Professor Joseph Carl Grant. His bio appears at the end of this post. I appreciate his point of view and his courage in conveying this powerful point of view. I monitor all comments, so if you plan to say anything hateful in response, no one will ever see it. My blog. My rules.

"I wanted to share with you some
of my thoughts on Trump's criticism of NBA and NFL players. This weekend I watched Trump's Huntsville,
Alabama rally, tweets, and sporting events and commentary very closely and
carefully.

First, what really strikes me is
the passion with which Trump, especially in the past couple of weeks, has gone
after Jemele Hill, Stephen Curry, and the mostly African-American males in the
NFL peacefully protesting racial inequality and injustice by kneeling during
the National Anthem-the "S.O.B.'s" in Trump's lexicon. There is one common thread, Trump is
knowingly and purposely targeting African-Americans to appeal to his political
base-this is about race. (Yes, LeBron,
you're next, Trump has no better sense than to attack you rather than listen to
your wise and insightful observations about who and what a president should be). Trump is attacking African-Americans who are
exercising their Constitutional rights to dissent with more passion and verily
than he could muster to condemn the actions of white supremacists in
Charlottesville. He wrongly insinuates
"both" sides are wrong-there's no equivocation here-Trump has chosen
the side of the alt-right (just another word for modern white supremacists).

Overall, Trump is constructing
and articulating an "Us" versus "Them" vision or paradigm
of American society. What really struck
me this morning was Trump's tweet praising NASCAR for not having racers kneel
this weekend during the National Anthem.
Alright, maybe I'm dumb, but there's something apparent here, I can't
name one African-American who participated as a driver in NASCAR this weekend,
and you'd be hard-pressed to find many African-Americans who attended NASCAR
this past weekend in sizable numbers. I
lived in NASCAR country/culture for three years in rural southwest
Virginia-that demographic is largely Caucasian.
To illustrate my point, Trump is basically saying good white folks who
attend NASCAR I'm your man-I'm with you!
However, NBA and NFL, which are largely populated by African-American
male athletes, Trump is mining a dark vein by targeting and saying to his
mainly white audience, we don't like it and suffer discomfort when you (Black
folks) take a knee to protest what's going on in terms of the prison-industrial
complex and police brutality/murder in the communities you come from. This is that Us v. Them dichotomy I
mentioned.

Through language, Trump called
these men ("S.O.B.'s"), all Black men have mothers, many of whom
raised us alone through struggle and sacrifice, all the culturally attuned
Black men I know honor, respect, and hold their mothers in a place of high
reverence. Black women/mothers are not
b*+=<%s! Trump has insulted a true pillar of the Black community-our
women. This is something Black men
cannot stand for-this is a bridge too far.
Black men have stood beside Black women in the past, and now more than
ever we must stand in solidarity with our sisters, because they have never left
our side in any of our struggles as Black men.
Trump wouldn't insinuate that white women are b%#*+}s! (Knowing his track record, perhaps he would).

Next, another thing that
troubles me about Trump is that he perpetuates a slave master mentality
concerning Black labor in this country.
In a nation where Black bodies were commoditized and sold with impunity
and disregard for humanity a true president must pick and choose his/her words
wisely.

In the South, where my roots run
deep, my own ancestors were bought, sold, and transferred from Virginia, North
Carolina, and South Carolina to Alabama.
A slave could be sold at a whim, or if he/she gave a word or a look of
protest to their master. A
"good" slave stayed in line to preserve their individual
comfort. Rebellious or "bad"
slaves spoke up and thereby posed a threat to the majoritarian social
norms/institutions.

By saying that NFL owners should
fire these men for kneeling, Trump in direct and indirect ways is harkening
back to a dark period in our history where Black men had no control over their
labor. We were owned by slave masters in
the not so distant past-the new plantation aristocracy are white NFL
owners. The net effect is that Black men
don't have a right to dissent, express themselves, and seek regress of their
grievances-the implication is that we own your body and we own your
labor-therefore we own you! Speak too
loudly or cast a glance in our direction we don't like, we will take your
livelihood away from you in an instant.
You, and your body are commodities that we market, control and profit
from. NFL'ers are akin to the modern
gladiators of Ancient Rome. Entertain us
and subvert your own humanity.

Finally, the Constitution holds
freedom of religion, speech, expression, and the press on the highest platform.
Time-after-time, Trump has shown us he
neither respects or embraces these most important of core American values. I may not like what someone else says or
does, or how they express themselves, but the beauty of this country is that
none of us have to follow the path of the masses-we may peacefully and lawfully
dissent and protest social inequality and injustice. The president in his/her use of the bully
pulpit should always be trumpeting these most American of values. This president on a basic, and elementary
level has shown he has no knowledge and respect for the Constitution. This a know-nothing president! He embarrasses America! There will be a day we must articulate and
try to market these most American of values to others in the world, maybe under
Trump, he will be unbelievable because he doesn't practice what he might one
day have to preach to American or perhaps a worldwide audience if circumstances
demand our core values be articulated.

If Frederick Douglass, A.
Phillip Randolph, Paul Robeson, Marcus Garvey, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and untold others decided to remain silent
where would I be? I commend the social
expression and consciousness of the Black men and women of the NBA, NFL, and
WNBA to move the needle of justice in the right direction.

Dr. King said: "The arc of
the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." There is still much progress to be achieved,
justice will be served. I feel that the
memory of history is long, history will judge and remember Trump for the
counterproductive and destructive force that he has been to our democratic
values and institutions. Hopefully,
he'll be a blip on the radar screen, who forces the needle further in the
direction of unity among fair-minded and justice loving people.

There is so much going on in the
world. Our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico are in the midst of a tremendous
humanitarian crisis, North Korean tensions are rising, healthcare hangs in the
brink. Why is Trump paying attention to
the NFL when there are bigger fish to fry?
His presidency has been a failure from inception."

Professor Joseph Karl Grant joined the Florida A&M
University College of Law faculty in 2013.
Professor Grant teaches Property, Business Organizations, Trust &
Fiduciary Administration, and Estates & Trusts at the FAMU College of
Law. Professor Grant received his J.D.
from Duke University School of Law (1998), and A.B. from Brown University
(1995). He spent his junior year of
college at the University of London, Queen Mary & Westfield College. After law school, Professor Grant returned to
his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where he practiced in the Corporate and
Securities, and the Labor and Employment law practice groups at Squire, Sanders
& Dempsey, LLP, and in the Corporate and Securities practice group at
Thompson, Hine & Flory, LLP. After
leaving large law firm practice, and prior to his entry in the legal academy,
Professor Grant founded and managed The Grant Law Firm, LLC in Cleveland,
Ohio. Professor Grant has served on the
faculties at several law schools, including West Virginia University College of
Law (2004-2005), Appalachian School of Law (2005-2008), Capital University
School of Law (2008-2013), and the University of Oregon School of Law (Fall
2011).

About Me

She helps people learn the skills they need to lead happier lives, solve problems effectively, and resolve conflict holistically with wisdom, skill, and heart.

The Virginia Mediation Network
(VMN), the largest statewide group of mediation practitioners, trainers, and
scholars gave her its first Distinguished Mediator Award in 2010. Who’s Who
in America recognizes her as among top
executives and professionals. Martindale-Hubbell
lists her as an AV-Rated Preeminent
Woman Lawyer with highest peer ratings for legal ability and ethics
(2002-2013).

She works as a Clinical Professor
of Law at Qatar University College of Law. She teaches legal research and writing, group facilitation, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, dispute resolution
system design, environmental dispute resolution, and insurance
practice.

Before
she joined academia, Prof. Young was a partner
in a St. Louis law firm -- McCarthy Leonard -- providing nearly 20 years of
experience as a commercial dispute litigator, mediator, and arbitrator
specializing in contract disputes, insurance, reinsurance, and energy law. Before that, Prof. Young practiced as an
associate in one of the largest law firms in the world - Skadden Arps – in its Washington, D.C. office engaged in an oil and
gas and public utility law
practice. She also worked in the Energy
Department of the largest law firm in
Oklahoma after graduating from law school.

Prof. Young has written over 50 law
review publications, book chapters, book reviews, and op-ed articles on
mediation, arbitration, insurance law, and energy law. Her
publications appear in law journals, bar journals, and at mediate.com.